A parking lot is owned by a goy which is across the street from a frum grocery. The owner is makpid not to park there and only wants customers frequenting the stores in that mall to park there. Can someone who parks there be an eid (witness) at a chasuna? Does he have to be mefayes the parking lot owner first?
Answer:
Someone who parks there remains a valid witness, unless he has been warned that by so doing he would become invalidated.
Sources: See Pischei Teshuvah, Choshen Mishpat 34:16, and Rabbi Akiva Eiger, Choshen Mishpat 34:7. Their rulings refer to full cases of gezel akum, yet validate the witness because people are not aware of the prohibition involved. This ruling would be all the more applicable to our case, which is not a case of full gezel, and many would be unaware of a prohibition. Yet, the person involved should certainly desist from using the parking lot, if the owner explicitly forbids non-customers from using it.
